• His son’s wife—and, by extension, the wives of all his male descendants—is forever forbidden to him, as in the verse: “and the spouses of your sons who spring from your loins.”

• The mother of his wife and her grandmothers become forbidden to him the moment the marriage contract is concluded, by the verse: “and the mothers of your wives.”

• The daughter of his wife, as well as her granddaughters, are forbidden if he has consummated the marriage with the mother, according to the verse: “and your step-daughters, who are in your care, born of the wives with whom you have consummated the marriage; but if you have not consummated with them, there is no blame upon you.”

At this juncture it is appropriate to recite the entire Qurʾanic passage now that we have explained the categories of women it declares unlawful for marriage. The Almighty says: “Forbidden to you are your mothers, your daughters, your sisters, your paternal aunts, your maternal aunts, the daughters of your brother, the daughters of your sister, your milk-mothers who nursed you, your milk-sisters, the mothers of your wives, your step-daughters who are in your care, born of the wives with whom you have consummated the marriage—but if you have not consummated with them there is no blame upon you—the spouses of your sons who spring from your loins, and that you combine two sisters in marriage, except for what has already passed. Surely Allah is ever All-Forgiving, All-Merciful.”

Section Two: Women whose prohibition is only temporary.

They fall into two kinds.

First: Those who are forbidden because of combining them.

It is unlawful to marry two sisters at the same time, for He, the Exalted, says: “and that you combine two sisters.” Likewise, it is forbidden to combine a woman with her paternal aunt and with